January has so many expectations attached to it.
It’s the month where we’re told we must become a “new you.”
New year, new you. Get up, get on it, get to it!
And yet… that isn’t what the earth is doing at all.
Nature is still resting. Still hibernating. Still taking its time. Waiting until the conditions are right to spring forth and grow and bloom. And there are little moments where you can feel that promise – the snowdrops popping up, or the sound of a lone bird singing when the sun makes a brief appearance. Small glimmers that spring *will* come. Because it always does.
In the Skipton studio, January is a lovely time. I get to chat with knitters who are brand new, knitters who are returning after a break and knitters who never stopped knitting at all. I love all of them – and it’s always a joy to welcome people back.
Something I hear quite often is: “I’m not really a knitter, I’ve only knitted…” followed by a list of things. Or: “I can’t really knit – I only knit and purl.”
But that’s the thing. Knit and purl *are* knitting. If you can knit and purl, you are a knitter.
Another one I hear is: “I’m not a very good knitter,” usually said while showing me a beautifully knitted piece.
I think this comes from the fact that in knitting there are infinite ways to get to the end result. There isn’t a single right or wrong way. Truly – there isn’t. Sometimes you get an end result you didn’t expect or want, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re not a knitter. It just means you try again. Rip it back and try again… or not.
Some knitters will find a perfect recipient for that jumper or hat – whether it fits them by size or by style. Other knitters seem to always end up with something that works because they fix things as they go along. Stitches come off the needle, but there’s no panic. Just a calm “whoops” and they’re back on again. That’s still knitting.
It reminds me of those Countdown number games. The answer is 4, but one person gets there by 2 + 2, another by 1 + 1 + 1 + 1, another by 5 – 1, or even 40 × 10 – 396. Different routes, same result. None of them are wrong.
Knitting is exactly the same. As long as you get to the result you wanted, it’s OK however you got there.
As for my January? I’ve been knitting lots. And lots. And – once again – forgetting to take photos while I’m doing it. I can show you the balls I’ve knitted… and soon I’ll show you the finished pieces too.
Just as soon as I’ve finished this row…